NEWSMAX | Published November 20, 2024
When Israeli soldiers began entering southern Lebanon as part of the IDF’s ground offensive, they encountered Hezbollah’s massive weapons stockpiles – most of them filled with advanced, recently produced Russian weapons, The Wall Street Journal reported.
According to an Israeli officer cited in the report, 60 to 70% of the weapons found in the initial days were Russian-made. Although this high percentage has since dropped, IDF soldiers continue to discover Russian weapons, including some of the most dangerous weapons Hezbollah has fielded against soldiers and civilians in Israel, such as the advanced Kornet anti-tank missiles, some of which were produced as recently as 2020.
The sheer volume and, in particular, the recent production dates of the weapons have surprised Israeli experts and IDF intelligence, who had long been aware that Hezbollah possessed significant quantities of older, including Soviet-era, weapon systems.
However, it appears that many modern weapons were recently transferred to Hezbollah from Syrian stockpiles, according to Syrian security officials and an Arab official cited by the WSJ.
Russia has long been the Syrian army’s primary weapons supplier and has increased its military presence in the country in recent years, helping the regime suppress the uprising by armed Islamist groups to effectively win the Civil War, which still continues to simmer.
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SOURCE: www.newsmax.com
RELATED: IDF finding far more Russian arms in Hezbollah’s possession than expected – report
Unclear how weapons reached Lebanese terror group; 60-70% of arms found in initial days of ground op were Russian-made, including anti-tank weapons produced as recently as 2020
Russian 9M113 Konkurs anti-tank missiles, supplied by Moscow to Syria, are found by troops of the IDF’s 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade in southern Lebanon, in a handout image published October 24, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL | Published November 20, 2024
Israeli troops operating in south Lebanon have encountered larger amounts of Russian weaponry in the possession of Hezbollah than the military had expected, according to a report Tuesday.
Many of the weapons were originally owned by the Syrian military, which has been supplied by Russia for years, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Syrian security officials and an Arab official.
However, it is unclear exactly how the weapons reached the Lebanese terror group. Both Russia and Hezbollah fought on the side of Syria’s President Bashar Assad in the Syrian civil war.
Hezbollah’s cache of modern, sophisticated weaponry far exceeded prior military estimates in both quantity and capability, the report said, bolstering the group’s ability to strike and kill Israeli soldiers.
An IDF commander who heads the National Munition Disassembly Lab told the Journal that 60-70 percent of arms found in the first days of the ground operation were Russian-made.
Among those weapons were Kornet anti-tank missiles made as recently as 2020, the report said.
The Russian and Syrian governments didn’t answer a request for comment, while the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the report.
Israel has tried to maintain positive relations with Moscow due to Russia’s military presence in Syria, Israel’s northern and bellicose neighbor.
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